Yeh, well that little experiment (link above) fell flat, for ANZ... staff were disgusted at how low their company stoops for attention.
First I've heard that, my contacts within AirNZ have certainly not commented in a negative way, in fact more the opposite.
Have to wonder why
VB/PB are going to places like DN and HN for trans Tasman. There might be a flurry of interest, especially with the tourism promotion that is being talked about by the burghers of NZHN, but I don't think the loadings will be sustainable.
The same external reasons that it didn't work for AirNZ at HN still exists for PB. AA is very close with plenty of choices (airlines) much better regularity and times of the day, and cheap prices.
Some of the cost structures may be lower but Air NZ has economy of scale. e.g. AirNZ has staff at these places doing checkin and despatch for other flights and extra Trans-tasman a day isn't that much more effort. If the business did pick up AirNZ would be back.
I think goodspeed has made soome very insightul comments.
The EMB may very well work but I think that was just a publicity stunt. Apparently MC looked at a jet option some time back. I don't think it stacked up.